


If my mind wanders, please bring me home

by Anonymous



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, prompt: domesticity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24766888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: “It was only the second rung, dear…” Jonah’s pout was met with anger and he quickly looked away.“I don’t care if it was the second rung! I don’t care if you were standing on solid ground! That was not something I wanted to return to Jonah. I cannot be here all the time to make sure you take care of yourself. What if you are seriously injured and I don’t show up until it’s too late. You have no housekeepers, no visitors but me most days. I cannot...I cannot…”-if my mind wanders, please bring me home, for home is where you are and home is where i know i will be safeif my mind wanders, it wanders knowing that you are nearby to make sure i do not wander too far
Relationships: Barnabas Bennett/Jonah Magnus
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18
Collections: Anonymous, Jonah Magnus Week 2020





	If my mind wanders, please bring me home

Jonah hummed as he nipped at his thumb, lost in thought. Before him, dozens upon dozens of pages of notes spread across his desk, each covered in scribbles of various degrees of legibility. Some of the words were crossed out, some were circled, some were underlined. Each sheet was different from the next but they all had one thing in common. In the upper left hand corner of each sheet was a stylized L, the ink a shimmering navy. 

Moving a selection of papers away from him, Jonah sighed as he jotted a name down on his own personal stationary, a rich amethyst M at the upper middle of the page. It wasn’t his first note of the night, not even his first page, and he knew that there would be a lot more. It was a daunting task but he had agreed to doing it and he wasn’t going to back down. Even if the pile of documents was never ending. 

Mordechai Lukas had come to him, face in a grim snarl, and bag heavy with documents. For all that the Lukases were good with business and underhanded deals, personal problems were not their forte. Every member of the Lukas family would rather stare down any man or woman that stood in their way than sneak around trying to figure out who was planning on stabbing them in the back. So Mordechai had come to him, several months worth of manifests and findings from private investigators in hand, hoping that Jonah could find something that no one else could. In return, Mordechai had promised him several books from the Lukas family library that Jonah had been trying to get access to for years. It was an easy deal.

Or so Jonah had thought. Now he’s knee deep in gossip and information that people would pay a hefty sum for, but no closer to finding out who was trying to get one past Mordechai Lukas. He huffed and dragged a hand through his hair, cursing himself for taking on such an arduous task. He’s not even sure if what Mordechai wanted could be found in these documents and he most certainly did not want to be the one to tell the man that all his money had gone to waste. 

As lost in thought as he was, he failed to notice his office door silently opening and closing. It was only when a small plate was placed at his elbow, causing him to jump, that he noticed he wasn’t alone. Moving his hand away from his heart, he blinked a few times to refocus his eyes. When they did, the annoyance in his mind slid away at the softly smiling face of Barnabas Bennett. Quickly gathering up the large amount of paper, he moved them over to the corner opposite of where Barnabas was standing, before moving the plate in front of him. The now empty space was immediately taken up by Barnabas, who had gingerly sat down on the corner. 

It was almost automatic, how Jonah reached out to tangle their fingers together. Barnabas gave a soft hum and raised his hand to run his fingers through Jonah’s now stress messed hair. Jonah sighed happily and leaned into his touch. Barnabas giggle echoed in the office, drowning out the endless drone of the large grandfather clock that rested behind him, the sound having been his only companion for some unknown amount of time. 

“Dear, you’ve been at this for hours. Hours upon hours every day this week. You are going to make yourself sick doing this and Dr. Fanshawe is not going to be too happy to come over here if you pass out from over exertion again.” Jonah sighed and buried his face in Barnabas’s leg, pressing his forehead and eyes into the fabric of Barnabas’s night clothes, happy for the momentary darkness. 

“I know, I know. I just...I’m missing something from these letters and findings. I can’t figure it out. You know I hate not knowing something and after a week I’m still as clueless as Mordechai.” 

“Sir Lukas isn’t going to be too happy if you pass out and can no longer work on his little project. You need to take care of yourself while you work, Sir Magnus. Plus, if you are put on bed rest that means no reading, so even if you find what Sir Lukas wants you won’t be able to read all those old books that you came to me raving about. What a shame that would be!”

Jonah raised his head to glare at his lover. The man just grinned cheekily and wagged his finger at Jonah.

“You wouldn’t…”

“Oh sir, I think I would! Gentlemen who are put on bed rest do not get to read. They only get to sleep and eat until their doctor declares them better!” Jonah’s eyes narrowed even more as he pinched Barnabas’s side. Barnabas gave him a scandalized look.

“If that’s the case, then the lovers of said gentlemen are not allowed to bribe the doctor to make them stay in bed longer.” Jonah’s glare quickly faded away into something soft as Barnabas raised a hand to his chest and looked at him with shock.

“I will have you know I only did that once! It is not my fault that someone, a particular Jonah Magnus I believe, passed out from hunger while  _ standing on a ladder.” _

“It was only the second rung, dear…” Jonah’s pout was met with anger and he quickly looked away.

“I don’t care if it was the second rung! I do not care if you were standing on solid ground! That was not something I wanted to come home to Jonah. I cannot be here all the time to make sure you take care of yourself. What if you are seriously injured and I do not show up until it is too late. You have no housekeepers, no visitors but me most days. I cannot...I cannot…” 

There was an almost quiet sob that had Jonah turning back to face Barnabas. It was only when he caught sight of wet eyes and a lip being bit that he realized the hand in his hold was shaking. He quickly gathered Barnabas up and brought him to sit in his lap. He cards one hand in Barnabas’s hair and the other rubs soothingly along Barnabas’s shaking back.

“Shh, shh my love. You know that I am immensely apologetic for that incident. I... I do not like making you upset and I seem to have done that again.” The hand on Barnabas’s back moves to pick up the tea that the man had brought in and he hands it to Barnabas, working together to bring the cup to Barnabas’s trembling lips. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I suppose I have been a little too focused on this project. I’ve been neglecting myself and neglecting you. Don’t look at me like that, I know I’ve missed dinner several times this week.” He swipes his finger over the tip of Barnabas’s red nose before placing a gentle kiss there. 

Barnabas lowers his eyes and Jonah catches his chin in response, bringing him closer for a slow kiss. The smaller man curls a little more into him, one hand coming to clench tightly on Jonah’s jacket. Moving away from Barnabas’s lips, not trembling anymore to Jonah’s relief, Jonah wraps his arm around his lover’s waist and brings him in closer, pressing his lips to a freckled temple. He hears a happy, but wet, sigh and breathes a little easier. 

“I am sorry, my beloved Barnabas. I...”

He knows he’s not the easiest man to love, or even deal with. He’ll forget anything and everything when it comes to his research and goals. He is callous and rude, suave and cunning. He knows he flirts around to meet his goals. He’s not the best man, no matter how much he wants to be for Barnabas. He’s too far into his plans to turn around now. 

“I forgive you. I will always forgive you. So let’s not worry about it. How about you read me some of your findings for another few minutes then we head to bed? Then, in the morning, we can tend to the garden and maybe do some shopping. You can come back here to work more on this while I make dinner. How does that sound?” Jonah smiles brightly up at Barnabas and kisses his chin.

“That sounds lovely.”


End file.
